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B

Smith County School District

Public school districtGrades PK–12Regional · 3 towns

Serves Carthage, South Carthage and Gordonsville.

Carthage’s School Grade B better than 64% of Tennessee school districts

Students
3,056
Schools
9
Spent per student
$11,672
TN $13,059
Debt
$2.3M
fiscal 2024
The gist

What stands out about Smith County School District

  • Its letter, B: results better than 64% of Tennessee districts
  • Spends 11% less per student than the TN average
  • Debt of $2.3M, about $750 per student
The School Grade

What this district adds to its towns’ grade

B: better than 64% of the 147 Tennessee school districts we grade. Each town’s School Grade weighs its districts by the students they test; spending and class size are shown but don’t count.

Test scoresReading and math above the state, 2021–22
B+
GraduationFour-year graduation close to the state, class of 2023
C+
The towns it serves, and their School Grades
BCarthage 2,282BSouth Carthage 1,576BGordonsville 1,464

How TownRatings grades schools →

Where would my kid go?

The school path for Carthage. Grade by grade →

PK–4Carthage ElementaryThis district
5–85 middle schoolsThis district
9–12Smith County High SchoolThis district

Test scores vs. TN

2021–22 · class of 2023
Math proficiency33%
State average 31.1% · 1,908 students tested
Reading / language arts40%
State average 36.8% · 1,745 students tested
Graduation rate (4-year)85–89%
State average 87.3% · 196 in the class

100% of students in the tested grades sat the 2022 tests.

Reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute); the newest year for each measure.

Where the money goes

fiscal 2024
$11,672 per student · 11% below TN
Spending
Classroom instruction 61%Support & administration 32%Other 7%
Paid for by
Local (mostly property tax) 22%State 59%Federal 19%

Fiscal 2022–24 includes federal pandemic relief (ESSER).

U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances.

Enrollment over time
3,000’20
2,991’21
3,061’22
3,033’23
3,056’24

About steady since 2020–21.

Students
White 87%Hispanic 6%Two or more races 5%Black 2%Asian <1%American Indian/Alaska Native <1%Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander <1%

Schools in the district

9 public schools. Each public school’s letter compares its own 2020–21 reading and math results with Tennessee’s other public schools.

Carthage Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–4 · Carthage
B+
465 students
Defeated Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–8 · Carthage
A−
288 students
Union Heights Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–8 · Carthage
C+
268 students
New Middleton Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–2 · Gordonsville
210 students
Forks River Elementary
Elementary · Grades PK–8 · Elmwood
B+
208 students
Gordonsville Elementary School
Elementary · Grades 3–6 · Gordonsville
A−
311 students
Smith County Middle School
Middle · Grades 5–8 · Carthage
B−
289 students
Gordonsville High School
High · Grades 7–12 · Gordonsville
C+
541 students
Smith County High School
High · Grades 9–12 · Carthage
B
476 students

District facts: U.S. Department of Education (NCES school directory 2024–25 and district boundaries) and the U.S. Census Bureau’s school finance survey. Test scores and graduation: state results reported to the U.S. Department of Education (EDFacts via ED Data Express and the Urban Institute). The letters are our own summary, graded within Tennessee.